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ramp up

B2 neutral separable both
In simple words

To make something bigger, faster, or more powerful — usually doing it gradually but with clear intention.

Literal meaning: Accelerating up a ramp — a gradual slope leading to a higher level.

Meanings

1 B2 idiomatic neutral

To increase something, such as production, pressure, or spending, steadily and significantly.

"The factory ramped up production to meet the surge in demand."

"We need to ramp up testing dramatically."

— Donald Trump, White House Briefing, March 2020
Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To intensify rhetoric, conflict, or pressure in a deliberate and escalating way.

"Both sides ramped up their rhetoric ahead of the election."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral

(Intransitive) To increase or grow in intensity, speed, or scale.

"Hiring ramped up significantly in the second quarter of the year."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Very common in business, politics, and news media. Often used for production, pressure, effort, or spending. Can be transitive ('they ramped up production') or intransitive ('production ramped up'). Increasingly common in everyday speech.

Commonly used with

production pressure spending efforts rhetoric capacity

Forms

Base
ramp up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ramps up
he/she/it
Past simple
ramped up
yesterday
Past participle
ramped up
have + pp
-ing form
ramping up
continuous

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